Shopping via PC falls in favor of mobile

As shopping has moved into the online space, physical stores have seen a downturn in traffic. However, as new international research from PricewaterhouseCoopers reveals, it's the turn of the PC to suffer as consumers shift their shopping behavior to mobile.

In their study, 'Achieving total retail: consumer expectations driving the next retail business model' 15,000 online shoppers from 15 countries were surveyed during August and September 2013.

The findings reveal that the share of trade of physical stores continues to fall, down 5% on 2012. However, the use of PCs to shop was also down - a drop of 7% in 2013 compared to 2012.

Meanwhile, the use of mobile to shop was up significantly - 46% - but the use of tablets to shop rose even more - by 56%.

"Consumers are choosing the shopping method that suits them best," said Matthew Tod, UK retail and digital partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers. "Whilst store decline has been visible for a number of years, it now seems to be the turn of the PC to suffer as consumer shopping behavior continues to evolve."

Another interesting finding from the research is that most shoppers (57%) are choosing to stick with five or less retailers with which they regularly shop. When asked the reason for choosing their top three retailers or brands, 85% cited trust, ahead of price (79%).

"Given the rise in cyber-crime and consumer concern about personal data, this finding highlights the need for retailers to take more action to protect their reputation," said Tod.